My son (youngest) has a thing. I call it a thing because I really don’ t know wha

t to call it. It starts with this: he does not like McDonald’s food. He loves to go to the playland, but refuses to eat, because according to him Burger King is the only place to eat chicken tenders and fries (and hamburgers are simply out of the question).

So, now, here’s where the thing comes in. My husband and I have affectionately dubbed it ‘The Hot Factor’. He will put his french fries on a napkin along with those little cups of ketchup. Then, he picks up a french fry, palms it in his hand and wraps his fingers around it (almost like he is squeezing it). The purpose of this is to check how hot it is. If it is not scalding to the perfect degree, he will put it down and never touch it again. Each fry goes through this careful inspection before it gets put in his mouth.

Strange. Weird. Silly. But it got me thinking….when it comes to books, how do you test their ‘hot factor’. And I don’ t mean in

terms of sexy. I mean in terms of absolutely, positively, captivating, must devour read. Do you stick to the tried and true authors that you love? Or, if you like to give new authors a shot, what draws you in, and what keeps you going back for more?

Oh! And, is there anything you do in your writing to ensure that your books will be someone’s ideal definition of ‘hot factor’?